Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-06-10
FOR THE FARMER.
The Loss of Fertility in the Soil by Crop
ping Farm Lands-How Good Butter
is Made.
Potato Culture-Warm Food for Cows
Managing for Eggs-Destroyins Can
ker Worms
CROPPING FARM LANDS.

Potato Culture-Warm Food for Cows
Managing for Esgs-Destroyins Can
ker Worms
CROPPING FARM LANDS.
The loss of fertility in the soil de-
ponds entirely upon the kind of crop
growing thereon, saws the Philadelphia
Record, and the soil is improved or i'm
poyerished in a certain period of time
corresponding with the available and
inert matter It contains and the growth
OF the plants which remove the fertiliz-
ing materials. Some crops enrich the
soil IN one respect and impoverish it IL
another by utilizing Il greater proper
ton OF some kinds of plant food while
rejecting others thus causing gradu.
al accumulation of some particular sub
stance which is not required for growth
ms Is shown by the growth of clover,
which adds nitrogen to the soil, though
removing other elements. The loss by
soils does not depend upon the amount
of plant food removed, but upon the
value thereof, and the loss does not
really occur by growing the crop upon
the land, but in removing it from the
farm to the markets. When milk is
produced the fertilizing element is in
the skim-milk not in the cream, and
when the manure is scattered on the
land and the milk fed to calves and
pigs, the loss is small, as the butter is
really produced from the air, through
the crop. Butter being composed
mostly of carbon, which is derived
from the air by plants in the form of
carbonic acid gas, does not remove any
of the substances existing in the soil.
1t has been estimated that 500 pounds
of butter, when sold off the farm.
carries away only 80 cents worth of
plant food. and the carcass of an OK or
horse 50 worth of plant food, while
crop Of wheat, valued at 5000, causes a
loss of nearly 500 worth of plant food.
If all the crops be fed to stock on the
farm and the manure carefully saved,
the loss is in proportion to the amount
and kind of material sold, which loss
may be modified according to the form
into which the salable article has been
changed. Cheese and milk take away
the most valuable elements. yet these
articles do not command as high prices
in the market as butter, which costs
but very little in the shape of fertiliz-
ers. If the land be cropped, the kind
of fertilizers TO be applied should cor
respond as nearly rs possible to that
which is produced in order to avoid
loss of fertility When crops are sold
the nitrogen, pliosphoric acid, potash
and lime are removed, but when the
sales are made in shape Of animals the
potash remains mostly in the manure.
Nitrogen and the phosphates are
essential under all systems, and every
pound of fertilizer applied is simply
storing it in the soil to be converted
into some other form best adapted for
market, whether animal or vegetable.
HOW GOOD BUTTER Is MADE.
Judge NJ. G. Gray, of Rycgatc. n.
H.. who took the second prize offered
by the Manchester Mirror for best
butter shown ut the Vermont dairy
meeting at st. Johnsbury, gave his
methods of feeding and butter making
as follows: His COWS are chiefly
thoroughbred Jerseys. though he has
few grades. The winter feed is
coarse fodder, such rs corn stalks.
wheat, rye, oat, or barley hay, fed
night and morning, with ordinary
English hay at noon. The coarse fOd-
der is cut and steamed about two hours
in the morning. The grain is equal
weights of corn and cob meal and bran,
four quarts at meal morning and
night. Water after feeding in the
morning and before feeding at night.
From eighteen to twenty-five cows are
kept. The milk is set in large open
pans, usually thirty-siX hours, and at a
temperature of 60 to 20 degrees.
Cunning is done from two to four
times week, in dash churn run by
horse power. In winter the cream
is churned at 81 degrees, and the but
ter comes in good condition to handle.
Just before the butter is ready to
separate the horse is stopped and the
churning finished by hand, When
finished the butter is rinsed off in clear
water, and n half ounce of salt per
pound sprinkled over it and worked in.
While the butter is being compacted
by a lever hand worker Il cloth is used
for absorbing the surplus moisture.
The churning occupies from fifteen
minutes to q half hour. If the cream
is too thick for proper churning it is
thinned with water. He made 5000
pounds last year.